Far away amidst a vast void, our world existed, rested within a hand of a half-dead God. This cosmic being, curious of death, torn its own heart out and froze into a static state between acute awareness and unbridled sleep. It had discovered the other side, of mortality.
Hence, the Great Ones came to alleviate this temporary symptom, however, because of their sudden separation from a collective source they became estranged. Themselves curious, such as their creator, of the individuality bestowed upon them. Through time the Great Ones molded the God’s heart into our world.
Each diverse in power, though each took a taste, besotted, they ruled over Man and animals alike. Wrothh, Bearer of Furious Flame, dwelled in the deepest of fiery folds. Aeth, Bearer of Unyielding Stone, hammered within the tallest mountain of the world and forged armour the Great Ones adorned. Osh, Bearer of All Tides, burbled on the throne that lied under the sea. Arctan, Bearer of Mighty Lightning and the sprawling skies, overlooked from the holy tower of Haelstrom; capital city of the land called Hallow.
The singular eye of the God became the world’s light, day was set, and when it dimmed to utter darkness, the Great Ones combined their power and made a lesser light. Night’s Lantern it was known as by mortal Man.
Bygone empires rose and fell, wars broiled and simmered, kingdoms that held such prominence…shattered. Others were either engulfed or lost to time. All this caused a stir in the void, and the moment came, for when a dark serpent of the abyss slithered around and tried to swallow the world whole! By the grace of the Great Ones it was fended off, forced back into shadow. Angered, it let loose its spawn upon the world, a war of grand proportions fractured the blessed land of Hallow. Blessed no longer. As malice and sin corrupted the hearts of the Greats, Man, and animal alike. Disorder, disease and a malignant darkness swept across this vast kingdom.
The God, between glimpses of clarity, had watched and devised a plan. A being with no heart, but divinely blessed with enough power to challenge the Great Ones. To bear their hearts of power and awaken the God. This plan envisioned itself into the minds of the devoted, so much so a prophecy had been written.
A lone woman bore this being into the form of Man, not out of wedlock, adultery, or defilement. A virgin birth, miraculous indeed and she was known throughout the town because of it. Another strange phenomena was the child’s growth, unordinary, adulthood befell the being early and once it did, the mother was left behind. The being took arms, trained, and deigned upon Hallow and its capital. An embedded purpose, almost instinctual. With sword, shield, spear, mace, bow and even magic; the being felled armies of bizarre creatures and undead men, their hearts consumed, along with powers they once held.
‘O, Bearer of Hearts, gather strength, redeem us from this heinous nightmare…wake the God!’ Cried a fanatic prophet as the Bearer stormed through Haelstrom’s upturned streets.
The Bearer gathered strength, headed to the castle, faced its knights and dispatched the royal blood. Arctan, mightiest of the four, clashed with the Bearer on the highest tower and claimed victory. The Bearer fell, died, and reanimated; possibly by the dark robed man who dragged the lifeless body out of the city whilst his mind teetered along the edge of madness. Divine intervention or necromancy?? No one knew. The Bearer’s way of thanking was a nod of the head.
‘Before you go…I have a proposal. Instead of using those great hearts to restore that pitiful corpse of a God, let the world be swallowed. Please, Bearer, commune with the serpent to enact our true retribution!’ He bellowed prior to a maniacally-induced laugh.
Across grassy fields, through sunny and foggy woods, over twinkling as well as mist-veiled lakes, among high cragged cliffs to under dark underground caverns where, albeit a few, preserved the remains of ancient cities. This Bearer of Hearts slayed menial beasts, further undead remnants of Man, and even encountered beings of shadow, spawn of the serpent. Aside from these there were powerful foes that ranged from giants, dragons, insects, gargoyles, minotaurs, legendary warriors and long-dead kings alike. Some were a mix between in which produced, exotic, looking beings. Each had governed their own distinctive abodes. After countless days and nights the consumed hearts the Bearer had, consumed, were enough to go toe-to-toe against the Great Ones. Osh was the first, then Wrothh, Aeth, and finally, Arctan on its favoured cloud. Their chests were torn and the hearts they bore, were ripped away by the Bearer’s bloodied hands. When they spoke, to seed doubt, to seek an answer, to gloat, or when they feared on the tearing of their hearts and in conjunction, their godhood; the Bearer remained silent.
Within this silence the Bearer felt something odd, something that hasn’t been there since birth. A heartbeat. A choice had to be made out of two. Awake the God or let the world be swallowed by the void serpent. Either, would have been the end of the world. Or at least if it was the first choice and the God returned the world into its chest…the world we know would be very different indeed. However, a third became possible, and we are the result of it. Because of the newfound heartbeat and the powers therein, the Bearer of Hearts sacrificed the strength it possessed by becoming the world. It took us away from the half-dead God and serpent of darkness to a realm of stars where peace, prosperity and healing, thrived.
Least this was the tale I use to tell when in the guise of a man, in the clergy. I am so sick of it now, and this place is to bright and those stars…those horrible stars! Shards, as the Great Ones were to that “God”, I am a shard of my maker, and not just a lowly spawn either. Unlike my maker, I may not eat the world whole but similar to a writhing worm inside an apple…piece by piece, O’ Bearer of the world, are you ready to be consumed!?
Back to Nav-System